Drake Busath

Drake Busath says he “grew up in a darkroom” as a second generation photographer. He now owns Busath Studio and Gardens, a vibrant portrait business with five photographers, three of which hold Masters Degrees from Professional Photographers of America.

His portraits have been the subject of numerous articles in photographic journals, three times on the cover of Professional Photographer Magazine. Drake has taught portraiture to professional photographers world wide, from Australia and Asia, to Europe and in 35 U.S. states. He’s been a regular platform speaker at Imaging USA.

Since 1999 Drake has also operated ItalyWorkshops.com, a photographic village-tour in Italy. Hundreds of photographers have attended what Drake calls a “personal renaissance” in Tuscany, Umbria, Liguria Coast, Venice, the Lakes District and Val d’Aosta, all regions in northern Italy where he has lived and worked.

Recognitions include:

Masters and Craftsman Degrees from Professional Photographers of America

Charter member of XXV, a society of Photographers world wide

Numerous Loan Collection (PPA) honors

Exhibited in Epcot and the Photographic Hall of Fame

Best of State 2010, 2011, 2012 for Photographic Portraiture in Utah

PPA National Award

Drake and his wife Liz are based in Salt Lake City. Two sons, Richard and Bromley Busath currently manage the portrait business.

Drake's Courses

Video: It’s a photographer’s nightmare—30+ people ranging from great-grandma to newborns, sullen teens, toddlers running wild, adults complaining and sunlight fading. But after you take this video class on posing large groups, you might just find yourself handling this scenario with confidence and aplomb, creating portraits that will lead to great sales.

Video: As a professional people photographer, you’ll probably shoot plenty of couple sessions, so it’s important you know what you’re doing—how to pose them, where to pose them, what to do with them. Enter instructor Drake Busath to the rescue! In this first part of “Posing for Two,” he’ll show you how to expertly position younger and more mature couples so their images showcase their relationship.

Video: Many a photographer, at some point, gets asked to shoot a precious pair of siblings. As sweet as Mom and Dad may think their kids are, kids usually won’t turn on the charm in this situation unless the photographer knows what he (or she) is doing! Drake tells you how to pose them to bring out the best and, in some cases, even get them to touch one another!

Video: In this class,lighting guru Drake Busath gets back to basics with reflectors! Reflectors are a key to great lighting and a photographer’s best friend – but only if you know what you doing. This course gives you all the fundamentals you need to know about using these great tools!

Video: Sometimes it’s good to get back to basics, and that’s exactly what instructor Drake Busath does in this video class. Listen up to his quick-and-dirty overview of the various backdrops you can use, when to use them and why. He’ll discuss the different options, their benefits and what you need to pull it off.

Video: Why might composites be the way to go when you’ve got a large family to photograph? Well, it’s a lighting nightmare and how often do you get 15 or more family members to smile perfectly at the same time? So roll up your sleeves and get ready for Drake’s step-by-step instructions for photographing the big family in segments.